Lansing — The smell of the grill and the savor of sticky barbecue from the tips of your fingers might make it easy to confuse Juneteenth with a Fourth of July celebration.
But the resemblance of the two holidays go beyond children tossing baseballs and the high-pitched bells of an ice cream truck. For those who celebrate it, Juneteenth is the true Independence Day.
Observed in Michigan on the third Saturday in June, Juneteenth celebrates when word of freedom reached the last of America's slaves nearly 150 years ago.
"I just imagine people being elated and excited," said Marilyn Plummer, co-chair of the Lansing Juneteenth Committee. "I can hear people screaming, bursts of joy, probably some tears - I can see all of that after they heard those words, and I feel that same rush and excitement when I get to tell people about Juneteenth for the first time."
The news of freedom reached the last slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865 - nearly 2 1/2 years after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Plummer said once the slaves learned they were free, an immediate celebration ensued.
"To experience instant freedom is hard for us to conceptualize today," she said.
In an attempt to recapture that sudden freedom, this past weekend's 14th annual Juneteenth Festival at St. Joseph Park in Lansing featured food vendors, a classic films festival, live music and a health fair.
The health fair provided patrons with information about sickle cell disease and asthma.
DRM Private Home Health Care Providers was one organization present at the fair. The home health care provider supplied information about private home health care, training and adult foster care.
Co-owner and MSU alumna Reshane Lonzo said one man who surveyed information under the DRM tent Friday, told Lonzohe he had been providing care for his mother and was unaware private home health care was offered locally.
"This holiday is about independence," Lonzo said. "I like to say we help people maintain their independence."
Along with remembering and celebrating history, tradition and culture, Juneteenth is about family, food vendor Kia Williams, said while cradling her 6-week-old daughter, Kayana.
"It's about celebrating freedom and being with family," said Williams, who traveled from Columbia, Tenn. to celebrate Juneteenth for the first time. "I'm working out here but I'm enjoying it because it's with my family."
A member of the Lansing Juneteenth Committee since 2001, Diondai Brown-Whitfield travels from Chicago each year for the annual celebration. Her daughter and son-in-law used to live in Lansing, but she said the commitment and integrity of the committee now brings her to the city.
For the first time, the celebration included a peace walk held Saturday morning, an idea crafted by Brown-Whitfield. She said when slaves were freed, the effects of slavery had a lasting impact.
"This is a new way of unshackling the mind of slavery and enjoying the prosperity this country has to offer," she said. "Juneteenth isn't just for African Americans, but for all people."
Charles Askew and his son, Tony, both from Lansing, also made Juneteenth a family occasion. The holiday brought business to Dogs Unlimited catering, which they began four years ago.
While taking a break from cooking hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork and ribs, Charles Askew said he never heard of the holiday until about five years ago.
"I heard about it in other cities, and Lansing had gotten ahold of it," he said. "It's given my son and I an opportunity to come out here and be entrepreneurs."
